“Erica Smith of newspaperlayoffs.com wants to know if those 10 who supposedly resigned on their own actually accepted a buyout offer. So if you were one of those 10, or if you know what happened, you can contact her at newspaperlayoffs@gmail.com.”

Here’s the thing about Nathan Ballard – he was almost always in this damn-the-facts-Gavin-Newsom-is-always-right mode. That’s just the way the bulk of his profession does it these days.* Oh well, he won’t be in that mode much longer, see the news release below.

But what if the roles had been reversed? What if the smarter one were Mayor and the more charismatic one were Director of Communications?

Wouldn’t that arrangement have worked out better? For them, and for us? Just asking…

NB on the job, an impossible job, really, when you get down to it. Here he is documenting the goings-on around on Polk Street:

Today Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that Nathan Ballard, his director of communications, will be leaving the Newsom administration.

Newsom praised Ballard’s skills.

“Nathan Ballard is unflappable, smart and a fierce advocate,” said Newsom. “He is a talented communicator and a consummate professional, and we will miss him.”

Ballard praised Newsom for his leadership.

“Mayor Newsom is a gifted leader who fearlessly tackles significant issues such as health care, the environment, education, and equal rights,” said Ballard. “It has been a privilege to serve this administration.”

Ballard took the helm of Newsom’s communications operation in February, 2007. He will be leaving the administration in February, 2010. He said he plans to spend more time with his family and to relaunch the business he founded in 2004, Earned Media, LLC.

Ballard, 40, has served as a spokesman for two presidential candidates, Senator John Kerry and General Wesley Clark. He has also been a communications director for the Democratic National Committee, the California Democratic Party, and California’s largest labor organization, the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.

Good luck Mr. Ballard. Bon courage.

*Speaking of charismatic leaders, even Mussolini would occasionally admit he lost a battle or made a mistake. Those by-gone days of frankness are long-gone, it would seem.

Fallen, fallen is Scharffen Berger the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality. Yea, it is broken, howl ye for it, take balm for her pain, if so be it may be healed. Click ye to expand:

This place is the bomb, a brick house built extra tough for the hazards of munitions manufacturing, its original purpose. See? A factory tour, head gear required: